George Robert Brooking

George Robert (Bob) Brooking, Col. USAF Paradigm of "The Greatest Generation", Renaissance Man What a dear, loving, kind, gentle man, and a warrior and a hero; and a talented sculptor, and a man with a lovely sense of humor and gift for friendship. His many friends loved him and his family adored him. George Robert Brooking, known as Bob, was born on April 18, 1919 in Livingston, Montana, where "A River Runs Through It." He loved the outdoors, was a superb fly fisherman and was going to be a forest ranger until his country called him to war and he became a young fighter pilot. (At twenty-six he became one of two youngest Lt. Colonels in the Air Force). He flew P-39s and P-40s against the Japanese in the Aleutians, in what he called "the forgotten war". In Europe he flew P-47s and when promoted to Lt. Colonel assumed command of the 365th Fighter Group, The Hell Hawks! He was shot down in Luxembourg near the village of Esh/Alzette, was hidden from the Nazis by the Underground, "liberated" by Patton's army to return to Group Headquarters in France and fly 251 more missions. Bob earned the Legion of Merit, The Silver Star, The Distinguished Flying Cross, The Air Medal with 9 Oak Leaf Clusters, The French Croix de Guerre with Silver Star, The Belgian Forragere with Silver Star and the Iranian Medal of Honor I, plus numerous lesser campaign ribbons and service medals. He was a member of the Order of Daedalians, The Retired Officers Association, The Texas Society of Sculptors and The Foreign Service Association. Five years after the end of the war he met his adored wife, Anne Barber, and they were married at Fort Monroe, Virginia in the Chapel of the Centurion, within the walls of the old fort (where Gen. Robert E. Lee has quarters). During Bob's thirty year Air Force career he and Anne lived all over the United States and in several foreign countries. One of the most memorable stations besides Japan was Tehran, Iran under the Shah. Bob was the U. S. Air Attache, and he and Anne once "danced for the Shah". He continued to fly at every base: F-860s, T-33s, F-102s, and F¬105s. Bob retired from Bergstrom Air Force Base, where he was Chief of Staff of 12 Air Force. He immediately invested his energies and interests in his adopted home of Austin. He became a part of the art community, the sport community, and volunteer community, with the same eagerness he had always shown throughout his military career. He served as Executive Director of the Austin Housing Authority, worked for the Dept. of Community Affairs, worked for several architectural firms in Austin and Houston, was a docent at the Blanton Museum, the Elizabet Ney Museum and most particularly for many years at the Umlauf Sculpture Garden. He was a friend of Angeline and Charles Umlauf and docented at their home garden, on top of the hill, before the Museum was built below and the sculpture garden formed. He loved the gardens and sculptures. They were family to him for many years. Bob was a strong, active man, interested in everything, who climbed Emory Peak in Big Bend in his sixties and played tennis into his eighties. He could do anything, and did. His cup was always half full. But at last, on April 27, strokes and pneumonia took his body, but not his beautiful soul. Left to bear the unbearable are his beloved wife, Anne, his son Robert Brooking and wife Rose, his daughter Kit Brooking, his honorary daughter Fran Adams, honorary grandson, Chad Adams, his honorary granddaughter Josy Johnson and husband Craig, and his four honorary great-grandchildren of whom he was very proud-all of Austin. Also left to mourn are his brother Ernest Brooking and wife Ruth and sister Frances Kuhn, all of Anchorage, Alaska, and numerous loving nieces and nephews. At his request there will be no memorial service. Those who knew him will hold him in their hearts. Private burial will be at Fort Sam Houston with full military honors. In lieu of flowers please make memorial contributions to Hospice Austin and their blessed work.